The Song Inside

Welcome! Daily tiny tunes for troubled times.29. open your mind30. get your hands dirty31. we are different flavors32. pause to enjoy the view33. stay angry as long as you need34. drink a milkshake, take a walk35. send love to those you missYouTubeBuy Me A Coffee!

You are in for a treat this week! Brazilian vocalist/composer Luciana Souza gives us a history lesson about growing up in a dictatorship in Brazil. We then discuss how Brazilian musicians used songs to convey messages, and we contemplate how we can all take small actions to make a difference.Chico Buarque: Apesar de VocéLuciana Souza: VocéBuy me a coffee!Find me on YouTube!Go to my Website

Welcome! Daily tiny tunes for troubled times.22. Give thanks23. Make harmony24. It's ok to take the day25. We're alive!26. Ask for help27. Play a teenange melody28. No room for hatehttp://www.thesonginside.me

Join me as I talk with songwriter Mark Hervey about art as mushrooms, universal vibrations, and building up connections. Also, we talk about what it means to us to be Christlike. His new album, Shine, is out now!https://open.spotify.com/album/4l5HFWH5BK9dxy3A0ph5Xy?si=jk4AQhR6RqiyS-l2AY-DhQSongs: Love Now, Baptize MeFind me at http://www.thesonginside.me

Welcome! Every day I sing a little song about how to survive this new regime. 15: no more fear16: put on your marching shoes17: it's ok to lie down and dream18: cuddle another being19: it's ok to scream20: get busy21: keep showing uphttps://www.thesonginside.mehttps://www.youtube.com/pianogoddess

You might know Jason Veasey as Jonathan from Only Murders in the Building, or from Broadway shows such as A Strange Loop. Join us as we talk about Janet Jackson, embracing the weirdness, and finding all of your colors.

Welcome! Every day I sing a little tip on how to survive these troubled times. Here's #8-14!8. don't put on a cone of shame9. tomorrow's another day10. if you fall, get up again11. turn it up to 1112.put a worry on the shelf13. try a change of scenery14. show someone you carehttp://www.thesonginside.mehttp://www.buymeacoffee.com/deidrestruck

Join me and Byron Isaacs (Lumineers, Ollabelle) as we talk about setting aside our differences, art as a means of keeping our humanity, and music as a universal salve.https://www.thesonginside.me

Welcome to the podcast which explores the songs which bring us from darkness to light! Are you overwhelmed? I thought so. I got you. Here are my first seven tiny tunes for troubled times. Each one features a small tidbit to hopefully help us get through the day. https://www.thesonginside.me https://www.deidrestruck.bluesky.social

Join me as I speak with theater maker and activist Jody Drezner Alperin about the importance of being visible, the history of protest songs, and knowing that we are not alone. www.thesonginside.me www.nobookbans.org www.offthepageeducation.org

We are BACK, baby! This is the podcast which explores the songs which bring us from darkness to light. And WOW do we need those now, more than ever. Each week will feature a different songwriter who is surviving this new and turbulent era through the defiant act of music making. If you are a songwriter committed to love and human rights for ALL, please get in touch! I'd be happy to feature your music here. Hang in there, friends. We got this. Let's be here for each other. Songs this week: Gratitude List, Two-Week Facebook Break

It's true. I've been away, but I'm back with a brand new album, The Year of Lost and Found: A Pand'opera! It was written during lockdown and clocks in at a whopping 22 minutes. The songs range from funny to moody, and I'm really proud of it. In this episode, I preview 3 tunes from the album, and throw in one written with my longtime collaborator, Byron Isaacs from The Lumineers. You can get my album on all platforms starting April 10th!

Welcome to The Song Inside's second season, focused on Music and Healing. Cellist Serena Jost is, among other things, a photographer and a songwriter who lives in the moment. Join us as we chat about how songs can rescue us, how letting go brings peace of mind, and how weakness can lead to possibility. Find out more about Serene HERE Song: The Cut Want to support TSI? Buy me a coffee! (It literally fuels my music). RATE AND REVIEW! Apple Spotify

Welcome to The Song Inside's second season, focused on Music and Healing. This week I'm thrilled to introduce you to my colleague, Manuel Bagorro! Manuel is the Creative Advisor for Carnegie Hall Social Impact Programs (and a very nice fellow). Learn along with me about the inception of the Carnegie Music Program at Sing Sing, The Lullaby Project, and a new series of concerts Manuel is curating around the issue of Music and Well-Being. Along the way, we'll talk about songs as heirlooms, persevering in the work, and the alchemy of creation. www.carnegiehall.org Read more at The Song Inside website Want to support TSI? Buy me a coffee! It literally fuels my music. RATE AND REVIEW! Apple Spotify

Welcome to The Song Inside's second season, focused on Music and Healing. Actor Vicky Finney was just living her life, when a series of events upended her trajectory. We talk about what led her to a course in Conscious Dying, how opening our hearts can ease our end of life, and how music is the bridge. Find Vicky HERE Resources: *Being Mortal by Atul Gawande *The five Invitations by Frank Ostaseski Die Wise by Stephen Jenkinson *When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chödrön (not specific to dying but great!) *Life After Life by Raymond Moody (about near death experience) Who Dies by Stephen Levine When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanthi Advice for future corpses* (*and those who love them) by Sallie Tisdale Being with Dying by Roshi Joan Halifax *Meetings at the edge by Stephen Levine Breathe you are alive! By a Thich Nhat Hahn Final Gifts by Maggie Callahan & Patricia Kelley *Still Here by Ram Dass *Welcoming The Unwelcome by Pema Chödrön *In the Light of Death by Tim Freke www.consciousdyinginstitute.com Song: I'm Real (by Deidre Struck) Read more at The Song Inside website Want to support TSI? Buy me a coffee! It literally fuels my music. Or RATE AND REVIEW, it's the nice thing to do :) Apple Spotify

Dave Wilbur is a kickass bass player, runs a Rock Lab, and happens to be one of my oldest friends. Join us as we go deep on humor as healer, imperfection as humanizer, daily gratitude, and letting impermanence be a teacher. Find Dave HERE Songs: Tina and the River Shafilea Read more at The Song Inside website Want to support TSI? Buy me a coffee! It literally fuels my music. Or RATE AND REVIEW, it's the nice thing to do :) Apple Spotify

Welcome to The Song Inside's second season, focusing on music and healing. Settle in with a cozy blanket and perhaps some tissues, as David Garland takes us through the remarkable journey of his life as a visual artist, musical creator, and radio host of Spinning On Air, a weekly music show on WNYC for 28 years. After his wife Anne received a terminal cancer diagnosis, David and his son Kenji created and played music together in the room directly below Anne's bedroom throughout the months leading up to her passing. In this episode, we talk about creating without presumption, trusting our curiosity, and exploring ambiguity. Find David HERE Songs: Garlands: Mortality 2 Garlands: Fortifications For Anne Read more at The Song Inside website Want to support TSI? Buy me a coffee! It literally fuels my music. Or RATE AND REVIEW, it's the nice thing to do :) Apple Spotify

Toby Williams is head of the music therapy department at Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, as well as a professor at NYU and a licensed creative arts therapist. In this episode, she talks about her journey from bandleader to therapist, therapy as a conduit to insight, and shares personal stories of how music has helped clients at different stages of their lives. Find Toby HERE Read more at thesonginside.me What we're listening to: Phoebe Bridgers Joni Mitchell Stevie Wonder Taylor Swift Luciana Souza The Sons of Champlin Want to support TSI? Buy me a coffee! It literally fuels my music. Or RATE AND REVIEW, it's the nice thing to do :) Apple Spotify

Welcome to Season 2 of The Song Inside, the only podcast which does deep dive interviews about the songs which bring us from darkness to light. This season will be focused on Music and Healing, with interviews from music therapists, doulas, and regular folks who have used songs to get them through tough times. New episodes drop every Monday, wherever you find podcasts. Find The Song Inside: Apple Spotify

One of the great things about working at an arts camp is that you get to meet like-minded creative souls. Oliver (drummer from Orange County CA) and Vero (director from San Angelo TX) are two such souls, each with a unique perspective on songwriting to share. Enjoy! Check out Oliver's band Filmspeed!

Hey Songsters! Summer is flying by! I'm away at summer camp for two more weeks, but am delighted to present this previous interview with David Bowie collaborator, tenor saxophonist, composer, and excellent dude Donny McCaslin. Enjoy!

I'm living my best life here at summer camp in Pennsylvania, and this week's guest is living his best life playing bass and singing with The Lumineers on tour. Byron Isaacs is one of my favorite people, as well as a stellar songwriter. You may need a tissue or two for this one!

I'm still at summer camp, writing songs with campers and playing for the musical James and The Giant Peach (there's nothing cuter than kids dressed as insects, singing about sticking together. For real.) This week, please enjoy this interview with Grammy-award winning songwriter/vocalist Kate McGarry. See you next week!

I'm at summer camp with my girls, writing songs and playing for musicals! This means that there won't be any new interviews for a few weeks. However, I'll be bringing you updates from camp, and segments from earlier episodes. Enjoy, and I'll be back with new songs soon!

I put out a call for songwriters for the pod, and Adam Fitch was the first to respond! I'm very grateful, because I loved getting to know him and his music. Our conversation goes from the art of falling apart, to creating a safe container of a song, to leaving love notes to God, to connecting to your inner child. Learn about Adam HERE Songs: Love Note to God In the Breadth of the Moonlight Why yes, I would LOVE a coffee! It literally fuels my music. RATE AND REVIEW, it's the nice thing to do :) Apple Spotify

Richard Julian: bar/live music venue owner, renowned songwriter, tour aficionado. In this episode, RIchard takes us on a heady journey through his songwriting process, which involves him recording and listening to one song a whopping 100 times (!) while writing it. (Don't worry, we only listen to four or five versions!) We also give some thoughts on Delaware, the mastery of Norah Jones, the romanticism of touring, chasing down the lyrics, and listening to what the song is telling you. Learn more about Richard HERE Go see a show at LunAtico! 1. The Final Round 2. If You Stay Why yes, I would LOVE a coffee! It literally fuels my music. RATE AND REVIEW, it's the nice thing to do :) Apple Spotify

It's summer! But we're taking a trip back to the chill of February, which is when composer Russ Kaplan moved from sunny Florida to icy Minnesota. We talk about minimalist metric modulation and manatees (say that three times fast), the organic creation of Broadway's first (and last??) a capella musical, the tenacity to keep going, and following the crazy. Learn more about Russ HERE Songs: Manatee Deep Beneath the City/Not There Yet

Russ Johnson. One of my oldest and dearest friends. Also an incredible trumpet player, composer, and educator. Join us as we take a walk with our younger selves to reflect upon our careers, New York and Chicago, writing with deadlines, and the two (no, THREE!) rules for success. Learn more about Russ HERE Songs: Transition Johnson Fjord Sun is Down Sun is Us Duo Why yes, I would LOVE a coffee! It literally fuels my music. RATE AND REVIEW, it's the nice thing to do :) Apple Spotify Catch me weekdays at 1 pm EST on Facebook Live!

It's Jazz in June here at The Song Inside, starting with the lovely pianist Aimee Nolte. We'll share some New York stories before talking about finding the right bandmates, her successful YouTube channel, and who our favorite jazz pianists are. Learn more about Aimee HERE Songs: The Loveliest Girl Looking for the Answers To become a part of The Song Inside community, join the Facebook Group! Why yes, I would LOVE a coffee! It literally fuels my music. RATE AND REVIEW, it's the nice thing to do :) Apple Spotify Catch me weekdays at 1 pm EST on Facebook Live!

Indian singer-songwriter (and now Grammy winner!) Falu Shah has been an inspiration to me since we first started working on the Lullaby Project together years ago. Here we talk about how winning a Grammy is a group effort, how the downbeat unites us, how all life's occasions are important to celebrate, and how everything is music! Learn more about Falu HERE Songs: Ghumar Nishad's Lullaby Tararum Pumpum To become a part of The Song Inside community, join the Facebook Group! Why yes, I would LOVE a coffee! It literally fuels my music. RATE AND REVIEW, it's the nice thing to do :) Apple Spotify Catch me weekdays at 1 pm EST on Facebook Live!

Franck Amsallem is a French jazz pianist and jolly good fellow. Join us as we talk about the meaning of names, 80s East Coast living, leaving something to be desired, and how music changes our DNA. Learn more about Frank HERE Songs: Gotham Goodbye Last Night When We Were Young To become a part of The Song Inside community, join the Facebook Group! Why yes, I would LOVE a coffee! It literally fuels my music. RATE AND REVIEW, it's the nice thing to do :) Apple Spotify Catch me weekdays at 1 pm EST on Facebook Live!

We did it! 50 awesome songwriter interviews, a year of songwriting tips, and music which brought us from darkness to light. In this anniversary episode, I'll be checking in with my brother and OG guest, Blake Lewis. (Do we have beefs with the music industry? Listen and find out!) We'll also hear from other past guests, and I'll play some of my own favorite tunes for you. I'm so proud to helm this podcast. Thanks to everyone for your support. Onward and upward! Learn more about me HERE! SONGS: Tina Fey Blue Early Morning I'm Real To become a part of The Song Inside community, join the Facebook Group! Why yes, I would LOVE a coffee! It literally fuels my music. RATE AND REVIEW, it's the nice thing to do :) Apple Spotify Catch me weekdays at 1 pm EST on Facebook Live!

Continue celebrating Mother's Day with me and Suzi Shelton! We take you on a journey all the way from the weirdest place we've done gigs, to Coney Island, to a song about co-parenting (video and new recording just premiered! see below), to the most important thing of all-doing what makes us HAPPY! Learn more about Suzi HERE Songs: Mermaids On Parade (collab with children's book author Melanie Hope Greenberg) Mama's House, Daddy's House VIDEO PREMIERE OF Mama's House, Daddy's House My Coney Island Day song/video Wanna come to the Mermaid Parade this year? Check it out HERE! Can You Feel The Power Buy me a mocha or leave me a note! www.buymeacoffee.com/thesonginside Please rate and review-it really does help. Apple Spotify Catch my Daily Piano Snacks weekdays at 1 pm EST on Facebook Live!

Not only is Graham Brice a cool neighborhood dad; he's also a killer songwriter with a sense for surprising chords. We have a lively chat about Song Club, learning from The Beatles, melodies arriving at inconvenient times, and how lucky we feel not to have been child stars. Learn more about Graham HERE Songs: Ask Me To (Live) I'm Alright With That Buy me a mocha or leave me a note! www.buymeacoffee.com/thesonginside Please rate and review! Apple Spotify Catch my Daily Piano Snacks weekdays at 1 pm EST on Facebook Live!

To close out INTERNATIONAL TROMBONE MONTH!, this week I'm joined by composer/trombonist Ryan Keberle. We have fun talking about trombone as a folk instrument, music as connection, rule implementation as freedom, and finding your own voice. Also, the composition that ends the podcast is one of my favorite songs, ever. Learn more about Ryan HERE Songs: I Am a Stranger Become the Water Buy me a mocha or leave me a note! www.buymeacoffee.com/thesonginside Please rate and review! Apple Spotify Catch my Daily Piano Snacks weekdays at 1 pm EST on Facebook Live!

I met Curtis Fowlkes my first day in New York. That's what we call Lucky! You, too, are now Lucky! Meet this true gentleman, soulful singer, and fantastic trombonist as we discuss goofing off at the circus, the origin of The Jazz Passengers, the foibles of working with Jeff Buckley and Lou Reed, and embracing the mess. As a bonus, OG Big Apple Circus bassist and friend of us both, Gene Torres, happens to call in during the interview! It's all gossip and goodness for this third installment of Trombone Month here at The Song Inside. Learn more about Curtis HERE Songs: March 19th Jolly Street If I Were a Bell Buy me a mocha or leave me a note! www.buymeacoffee.com/thesonginside Please rate and review! Apple Spotify Catch my Daily Piano Snacks weekdays at 1 pm EST on Facebook Live!

We continue our Trombone Month celebration with the hardest working trombonist in show business, Brian Drye! Come and listen to us geek out about the trombone, discuss the choreography of recording, marvel at the glue of ostinato, and learn about giving it your all on Broadway every night. Learn more about Brian HERE Songs: Hawaii Open Water Buy me a mocha or leave me a note! www.buymeacoffee.com/thesonginside Please rate and review! Apple Spotify Catch my Daily Piano Snacks weekdays at 1 pm EST on Facebook Live!

People! It is time to celebrate THE TROMBONE! All! Month! Long! Starting with Alan Ferber, co-director of the BMI Jazz Composers Workshop and all-around talent. Join us as we talk about community through music, the beauty of a nonet, the importance of economy, and harmony as cake. (Great, now I'm hungry). Learn more about Alan HERE Songs: The River North Rampart Buy me a mocha or leave me a note! www.buymeacoffee.com/thesonginside Please rate and review! Apple Spotify Catch my Daily Piano Snacks weekdays at 1 pm EST on Facebook Live!

Leah Paul is a sweet potato who runs a music business for kids called Sweet Potato Music! She also lives in LA, is a mom, plays the flute, and writes the coolest chamber pop tunes you've ever heard. We talk about pivoting after motherhood, treating vocals like flutes, finding home, and not waiting for happiness. Songs: Warm Streets Thin Skinned We Will Do The Worrying Buy me a mocha or leave me a note! www.buymeacoffee.com/thesonginside Please rate and review! Apple Spotify Catch my Daily Piano Snacks weekdays at 1 pm EST on Facebook Live!

Brazilian composer, singer, lyricist and percussionist Luciana Souza is a light in the darkness. In this conversation, we revisit our younger selves, call our friend (and Sunnyside producer) Francois live with a birthday message, reminisce about Cornelia Street Cafe, and explore the freedom of harmony and the gestures of melody. Learn more about Luciana HERE Songs: Sonnet Sleeping Ground These Things Buy me a mocha or leave me a note! www.buymeacoffee.com/thesonginside Please rate and review! Apple Spotify Catch my Daily Piano Snacks weekdays at 1 pm EST on Facebook Live!

Singer-songwriter Lucy Wainwright Roche comes from a musical family. She also has a very amenable dog, and a voice like a damn angel. Join us as we talk about going to Wikipedia for song ideas, the dark tundra of not writing, how a song can be anything, and how life on the road is definitely funnier with a companion! Learn more about Lucy HERE Songs: Ohio is for Lovers Canterbury Song A Quiet Line Buy me a mocha or leave me a note! www.buymeacoffee.com/thesonginside Please rate and review! Apple Spotify Catch my Daily Piano Snacks weekdays at 1 pm EST on Facebook Live!

Happy International Women's Month from The Song Inside! To kick things off, Spanish songstress Lara Bello (a fellow Carnegie Hall Lullaby Artist), joins me to explore the feelings inside the melody, the importance of introducing new cultures and languages to audiences, how to open our arms to new fruit, and just what the heck the meaning of Sikame is. Learn more about Lara HERE Songs: Sola Sikame Buy me a mocha or leave me a note! www.buymeacoffee.com/thesonginside Please rate and review! Apple Spotify Catch my Daily Piano Snacks weekdays at 1 pm EST on Facebook Live!

Django Haskins calls in from his North Carolina cabin to talk about the discipline of Monday Night Song Group, musical and narrative dissonance, why proficiency shouldn't get in the way of being authentic, and the importance of lifting others up. Learn more about Django HERE Songs state road valentine Cutting Onions Til My Voice is Gone Buy me a mocha or leave me a note! www.buymeacoffee.com/thesonginside Please rate and review! Apple Spotify Catch my Daily Piano Snacks weekdays at 1 pm EST on Facebook Live!

Pianist/Composer Brittany Anjou recently completed a Masters in Music Psychology and has done research on the mental health of musicians living in NYC. Join us for an intellectually stimulating conversation! Brittany tells me about hosting avant-garde jams in Kuwait before we move on to discuss jazz as a democratic art form, embracing opportunities to fail, and the eternal conflict between teaching and playing. Learn more about Brittany HERE Songs: Starlight No Tyrant Please rate and review! Apple Spotify Catch my Daily Piano Snacks weekdays at 1 pm EST on Facebook Live! Buy me a mocha or leave me a note! www.buymeacoffee.com/thesonginside

What do Tribe Called Quest and the Love Boat have in common? What did Stravinsky say to do daily, as if brushing one's teeth? Find out in this interview with master composer and saxophonist Ohad Talmor! We talk about his lifelong relationship with Lee Konitz, the importance of buying the scores, the purpose of etudes, and the responsibility of artists. Songs Flight to Missoula Etude #2 Please rate and review! Apple Spotify Catch my Daily Piano Snacks weekdays at 1 pm EST on Facebook Live! Buy me a mocha or leave me a note! www.buymeacoffee.com/thesonginside

If you were in a Manhattan hotel 25 years ago, or a German castle recently, you may have heard Robin Meloy Goldsby tinkling the ivories, and not even known it. Her latest book, Piano Girl Playbook: Notes on a Musical Life, captures what it's like to play for all kinds of people in all kinds of places, and still find music at the heart of things. We talk about her storied life (played at Buckingham Palace? Check! Played for naked folks while wearing a concert gown? Done that!), the intentions of the composer, Mr. Rogers, and putting the work in. Learn more about Robin HERE Songs Flying, Falling December Neighbor Buy me a mocha or leave me a note! www.buymeacoffee.com/thesonginside Please rate and review! Apple Spotify Catch my Daily Piano Snacks weekdays at 1 pm EST on Facebook Live!

Is Rich Bennett a producer, guitarist, composer, and music studio/school owner? Yes. Is he also Roman Angelos? YES. He makes music for underwater supermarkets, is a coffee and seltzer enthusiast, and enjoys the shifting of phrases and the art of the long fade. Learn more about Rich HERE Songs: Shocked in Sciacca Wild Ride Night Part 1 Swimming Through the Aisles Buy me a mocha or leave me a note! www.buymeacoffee.com/thesonginside Please rate and review! Apple Spotify Catch my Daily Piano Snacks weekdays at 1 pm EST on Facebook Live!

Eric Biondo (aka Beyondo), is a behatted trumpet player, songwriter, and vocalist. Yes, we made up the word "behatted". We talk about song boats drifting by open channels, the many feelings about jazz, writing with whatever you've got in the moment, and whether or not Eric has a ghost living in his apartment. (My money is on YES). Learn more about Eric HERE Songs: Life on Repeat I've Learned to Dance Buy me a mocha or leave me a note! www.buymeacoffee.com/thesonginside Please rate and review! Apple Spotify Catch my Daily Piano Snacks weekdays at 1 pm EST on Facebook Live!

Sonia de los Santos was born in Mexico with a smile on her face, so the story goes. Listening to her music, it's easy to believe! Her joy is infectious. In this episode we talk about the beauty of informal singing, the importance of saying "I'm here", the rise of family folk musicians such as Dan Zanes, and the sound a chipmunk makes. Learn more about Sonia HERE Songs: Alegria Suena Fiesta Fiesta Buy me a mocha or leave me a note! www.buymeacoffee.com/thesonginside Please rate and review! Apple Spotify Catch my Daily Piano Snacks weekdays at 1 pm EST on Facebook Live!

Tony Malaby. Saxophonist. Teacher. Kung Fu Panda. Join us as we talk about Mexican food, NYC in the 1990s, falling into the waters of improvisation, and Ricardo Montalban. Learn more about Tony HERE Songs: Mia Corinthian Leather Buy me a mocha or leave me a note! www.buymeacoffee.com/thesonginside Please rate and review! Apple Spotify Catch my Daily Piano Snacks weekdays at 1 pm EST on Facebook Live!

It's a new year, and we are starting out by celebrating the large ensemble jazz arrangements of Alan Baylock! Full disclosure: Alan was my arranging TA at the University of North Texas, where he now runs the infamous 1:00 Lab Band. Lucky me! In this episode we discuss starting simple, what we learned in college, framing devices, and How To Gain Life Skills From Playing In A Big Band (this should totally be a college course, right?) If you're lucky enough to be going to the JEN conference in Dallas this week, you can catch Alan and the 1:00 band LIVE Friday 1/7 at 7:45 pm! Learn more about Alan HERE Songs: El Abrazo Torque Buy me a mocha or leave me a note! www.buymeacoffee.com/thesonginside Please rate and review! Apple Spotify Catch my Daily Piano Snacks weekdays at 1 pm EST on Facebook Live!